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00:00Why would we be here in the arena if that weren't tonight?
00:03It'd be weird.
00:03It'd be a weird flex for us to just come down here and do this on a non-game night.
00:08I mean, it's cool being here and everything, but yeah.
00:10Yeah.
00:12It's not only cool, it's like a nice cool versus outside.
00:16That's right.
00:16Today.
00:17That's right.
00:17It's a nice sort of gentle room temperature.
00:19This is like a go to the movie theater in July kind of day we've got here in downtown Buffalo.
00:24It is hot outside, which is going to be great for people who are going to be partaking in
00:28the activities out of doors.
00:31I was just thinking sitting here, you know, from where we're looking, the marina is just,
00:36you know, just off on the horizon here on my right, thinking like if that boat was in the
00:40water, like if you can get out of work early and you have a boat and it's already in the
00:45water, just take a spin and then come to a hockey game.
00:49How much I would love to do that this afternoon.
00:52Could that party spill into the lake if it gets exciting?
00:56I don't know.
00:56It's not that warm yet, the water.
00:58No, that's right.
00:59That's right.
01:00But sure.
01:03Well, whatever happens in this game, you'll never forget it.
01:07We sit here and take our turns remembering important moments in Bills and Sabres history
01:16on a, you know, fairly regular basis.
01:19And they're not all wins.
01:21But whatever happens in this game tonight will be remembered forever by, you know, for as
01:26long as there is this franchise by me, by I think everybody that really plugs into this.
01:35And, you know, I choose to be optimistic.
01:38I don't know if my voice exactly reflects that.
01:40I'm tight.
01:41Yeah.
01:41I'm not even going.
01:43There's a chance that I'll make them drag me out of here.
01:47Come 730, there's a better chance that I'll run for the hills as soon as we get to 730 to
01:52just sort of escape the pressure cooker.
01:55I definitely was not going to, what, we went to Game 5 of the Bruins series, and then I got
02:03invited to Game 2 of this series.
02:06And after that, I said, you know, I'm done.
02:11And I definitely was not going to go seek tickets out, but tickets were offered to me, or a ticket,
02:17actually, just me, offered to me.
02:21I mean, what kind of maniac says no to that?
02:24Well, for free.
02:25Like, okay.
02:26At least you're willing to admit it.
02:27Like, I just, I have to say yes.
02:32So I've never been to anything like this in my life.
02:37I've never been to, well, I was at an elimination game with you a couple of weeks ago.
02:42We know how that turned out.
02:43But still, you know, they ended up winning the series the next game.
02:48So I'm also choosing to be optimistic.
02:51I mostly, I don't even know if it's optimism.
02:54I mostly just feel grateful.
02:57Yeah.
02:59Right?
02:59I mean, look at it outside.
03:05It's every, it, and it's, it feels like the exact right opponent.
03:10I feel like the first time I ever got to the, when are we going to get a beautiful day?
03:17And it's sunny out, and there's a game, and it matters.
03:20I'm not, I wasn't even thinking about a playoff.
03:22I think it was on a night when they were playing Montreal in the spring.
03:25One of these years that we were sitting here, and it just, like, we need this.
03:29We need this, we need this to matter more than, you know, game 72 of an 82-game regular season
03:35where you've been eliminated since Thanksgiving.
03:37We need all this back.
03:39But they might have bumped the 50-50 total that day.
03:43And here we are.
03:44I mean, it is just custom made.
03:48And just to have it all back is amazing to me.
03:51It really is.
03:51Yeah.
03:52Well, you know, winning will be good.
03:54Yeah.
03:55Like, tomorrow, you lose tonight.
03:58Tomorrow is gratefulness, all of that, gratitude, and appreciation for the season.
04:06I mean, most games that they could lose tonight would be that.
04:11There's also the possibility that we're all just sort of losing our minds over something
04:16that happened.
04:16Yeah.
04:16It's just a day or a week or a month or an entire year of ref, you suck, which is
04:22the
04:22worst.
04:23But if they do it, it's just on to Carolina.
04:27Right.
04:27It's more of this.
04:28It's more of this.
04:30And you're just, needless to say, that much closer to the whole thing.
04:35I mean, whether you look at this so far or what that would be as gravy, as house money,
04:42anything of the sort, whatever.
04:44You know, that's just talk.
04:47It's just perspective.
04:48In reality, I mean, like Lindy said, after game five, there's five teams left.
04:53Boy, I was really impressed with him after that loss.
04:58And I guess he had his team right.
05:00Yeah.
05:01Even down 3-1, he just had a couple of bad goals.
05:06And they were able to survive that, the Zucker goal for 3-2, and then the rest of it.
05:11What a night.
05:11I just kept saying 8-3 out loud all weekend.
05:14Same here.
05:15I went out for just a little, like an hour or so of revelry Saturday night after the game ended.
05:23And one of the bartenders at the place I hang out regularly, every time we had a still moment, right,
05:31where he wasn't getting a drink for someone or whatever, just made his way back near me to chit-chat,
05:35we just looked at each other and went, 8-3.
05:38Yeah.
05:388-3.
05:40That's just it.
05:418-3.
05:41Is that on the list of the expressions?
05:44I mean, we had...
05:458-3.
05:468-3 with, like, eight exclamation points, if you'll allow it.
05:50Just a...
05:52I mean, just what a night to go from the goalie getting pulled down 3-1,
05:58score 30 seconds in, and then fall down in that goalie disaster, and oh my gosh,
06:03to 8-3.
06:04This series is hammered.
06:07It's 3-3.
06:08So good.
06:08These teams are extremely...
06:10I think they're equals, but we're getting all these...
06:13You're getting 8-3, and 6-3, and 5-1, and just...
06:19There have been a couple of games that were tighter, of course.
06:21Game 4 of Montreal was very close, one goal game, and the opener was 4-2.
06:26But these other four games have been pretty sideways on the scoreboard, but I don't think
06:32really indicate what...
06:33I mean, the Sabres had to come hella back on Saturday night, and just kept going.
06:40They didn't even let you get nervous.
06:42You know, oh, they're tied.
06:43Oh, they have the lead.
06:44They just kept going.
06:46And eventually, it's like, wow, we are...
06:49We're just killing this team.
06:51And I just...
06:52It's just so...
06:54It's just so cool to have them...
06:57I don't want to say surprise us again, because you didn't have to hate their chances going
07:03into Saturday night, even as bad as Friday...
07:07Or, excuse me, Game 4 or Game 5 looked.
07:11It just...
07:12To get it the way they got it is just another one of these nights where your text thread
07:17with your friends is like, these bleeping guys.
07:21It's another example of just how meaningless the past is to the players.
07:30You know, I mean, not that it has to correlate.
07:34You could be aware of Buffalo sports history, all of that, sort of that dark place that I
07:41can get to, and not suffer for it.
07:46But, I mean, these guys don't have to care about that.
07:48I've said it forever.
07:49Like, it's just something...
07:51It's our psychosis.
07:53Not theirs.
07:54I don't know what I was doing on Saturday with the tweet about, don't we all know they're
07:58going to lose this game?
07:59Something to that effect?
08:00Right.
08:01I just...
08:01I don't even know if I meant it.
08:03A little bit of a defense move.
08:05Just like, let me just sort of...
08:08Let's say it now.
08:09They're going to lose this game.
08:10And then they win by five.
08:13Do you care what they wear?
08:17I'm not...
08:18Do I...
08:19Yes.
08:20I guess...
08:21Yes, I do.
08:21Because I'm...
08:23I'd like to be able to deliver the news to people in some definitive way, I guess.
08:28So I do care on that level.
08:32But for me, like, as a fan, when I get situated to watch this game, I'm not real bent about
08:36what they come out in myself.
08:38You just want to be able to report it.
08:40I would just like to be able to tell.
08:41Yeah.
08:41My ears sort of perked up right as we were getting ready to start.
08:44There looked like there was, like, a test run of what could have been the game open going
08:48on in there.
08:49But there's curtains covering everything.
08:51And I didn't have time to run.
08:52But I want to see, like, is there some clue?
08:54I haven't been to enough of either game, like the Goatheads or the Home Blues, to know how
09:02different the Open is or isn't.
09:05And so I thought, maybe there's a clue there.
09:07But I couldn't see the screens.
09:08So I don't know.
09:09I do think it's interesting.
09:11I think Ruff has only worn that stuff that he wore today.
09:16He wore a black hat with the Goathead logo and a black hoodie with, you know, the black
09:22and red scheme.
09:22I mean, he's only worn that when they wear it.
09:27So I don't know if that's just what he had in his bag that he packed to go stay in
09:31this
09:31hotel, even though they're playing at home tonight, or what.
09:35So they did do that?
09:38What do you mean?
09:38The hotel?
09:39Yeah, they did.
09:40They did?
09:40Yeah, they met.
09:41He said they would.
09:42The media availability today was at a hotel for, yeah, I think some players came.
09:47Was it in Montreal?
09:48Came and skated.
09:49I believe it was in town.
09:51So, and Lindy and a few players, who we'll hear from on pregame, spoke.
09:56And that's where that happened, at a hotel down here.
09:58So, yes, he did do that.
10:00But it's so Lindy to do that and then not have them wear it.
10:03Right.
10:03Have the, right.
10:04So I don't know what to, but that's what sort of set everybody off at around lunchtime,
10:09I think, or around then, is maybe a little earlier in the morning when he spoke.
10:13The video of him made the rounds and he's wearing the goat head gear.
10:18So, we'll see.
10:19I know people are interested in it, so therefore, I would like to be able to deliver.
10:24But I couldn't.
10:25There was no going down by the locker rooms when we got here.
10:29Because, like, there would be the clue.
10:31If you could get in there and see what's hanging, then maybe that would be definitive.
10:35So, I don't know.
10:36Looking around, I will tell you, I posted a picture.
10:40The scoreboard and all the banner, ribbon banners around the, it's all in blue and gold.
10:46Right.
10:46The towels are blue and gold.
10:47Right.
10:48So, those are some clues, I would think.
10:54I would think so, too.
10:56But it's probably changeable.
10:57Yeah.
10:58With maybe a flip of a switch.
10:59I have three thoughts.
11:01One is, I sort of like the spirit of it, if they were to wear black.
11:08It happens to signify a sea change in their history when they moved to those uniforms.
11:14And they started beating teams like this, which they almost never had in the postseason and having some real results.
11:21Two, so much for someone like yourself and like me and a lot of our listeners and Sabres fans who
11:29are old enough to sort of not easily detach from their mostly unfortunate playoff history.
11:37I think, like, this has been a team that has been defiant.
11:40I mean, just beating Boston was cathartic for fans, thinking about the 80s and 90s, and just Boston is always
11:50like sort of the big bully.
11:51And the Sabres dispatch of Boston, winning every game in Boston in that round.
11:56And they didn't need black jerseys to do it.
11:59And then this round, I mean, beating this team would be much the same.
12:03Interesting to me, and surprising to me, the Sabres have played 41 playoff games against Montreal, and they've won 20.
12:13The playoff series all-time is 21-20 in favor of the Canadians.
12:18So it's not like, it used to be a thing, too, and I'm not sure if it's even different, but
12:22I always like this for as many championships as Montreal had.
12:26The Sabres had a winning record against the Canadians, like, all-time.
12:29And they might still, but it's been a long time since I've looked that up.
12:33And no one else maybe had that.
12:35Like, Buffalo might have been the only team pre that late 90s expansion to have a winning record all-time
12:41against Canadians.
12:42I'd like, if they're going to, you tell me they're going to win, I want them to do it in
12:44blue and gold.
12:45That's, like, this is the new, a new era.
12:48If you're beating these franchises in the playoffs, and we'll see what Carolina is if they get through tonight.
12:55And three is, I'm not sure if it really matters to the outcome of the game.
12:59Right, which is why I'm not that invested in it other than the curiosity that I know people have about
13:04it, so therefore I'd like to deliver the information if I can.
13:08And I don't, I'm making, by saying that, I'm not making any promise, and I'm just saying, like, I'm curious
13:13because I'd like to be able to tell everyone.
13:16I do, I do like, you sort of referred to this, the word is that if they choose to do
13:22it, that there's a fine.
13:24They had to commit to a color scheme.
13:26Every team did.
13:27The Penguins chose to wear their Nashville Predators jerseys.
13:30What a choice.
13:31At home in the playoffs.
13:32So that was what they were wearing.
13:34But mustardy yellow that is not a Pittsburgh Penguin color at all.
13:38Anyway, so you had to commit before the playoffs began, and I guess there is a, there's a fine, I
13:44don't know how hefty a fine, but it would be kind of, I don't know, it would be kind of
13:50a cool, like, you know, cliche-ish, I guess, but rebellious sort of, fine, what do I owe you?
13:57Let me write a check.
13:58Right.
13:58Right, the guys want to wear this.
14:01We get a sense from the fans.
14:02We were looking to change something up here.
14:04We haven't been good at home so far in the playoffs.
14:07Let's try these.
14:09They seemed like a magic bean at one point when they first came out, and I think that sort of
14:13dissipated over the course of this season.
14:15But when they first came back, their record in those jerseys was fantastic.
14:20So I get it if it started with, you know, Rasmus Dahlin went to, what do we got to do
14:27to wear the other jerseys?
14:28Like, whatever, if it indeed happened, and it's organic, and they just write a check, I kind of dig that.
14:35So I guess I care a little more than I'm letting on by saying I'm only interested, you know, quasi
14:40-professionally, I guess.
14:42I do like that aspect of the story, if there is indeed a, I don't know, what, I mean, what
14:47could, a six-figure fine?
14:49Like, what kind of fine are they going to levy on them?
14:51Whatever.
14:52What's the net of one more playoff game, or two, or seven?
14:58Right.
14:59Like, is that maybe, can we afford it?
15:01Right.
15:01Has this been good?
15:02Costs $50 to park all the way around the place.
15:05Benson jerseys are $500.
15:06Maybe they can find a little money for a fine if they want to pay a fine.
15:09They probably have it, yes.
15:11I think they're trying to get us wherever they can get us.
15:14Are we all okay with Bulldog going to this game?
15:17So I know you didn't, first thing you said was I didn't look for tickets.
15:20But you and I both kind of, we sat together on Friday, like, we have to stay away from that
15:25building.
15:26I don't think I've been to a win this year.
15:28They won 55 games.
15:29Yeah.
15:30Or 56.
15:31Yeah.
15:32Or whatever it is now.
15:32I mostly just keep telling myself lots of people have been at all of these games, and therefore, like, any
15:38notion of, like, I can't be there is ridiculous.
15:41It matters less than the jerseys.
15:43Okay.
15:44I think.
15:45You say that now.
15:46I just, whatever.
15:47I'm not going to walk around carrying a cross about a result in this game.
15:52Like, I got invited, and it's an opportunity that I simply could not turn down.
15:58Yeah.
15:58How could you be blamed?
16:00Right.
16:00I mean, it's just silly.
16:01But I know what you mean, though.
16:03A part of me saying, after I went to game two of this series and they lost on that Friday
16:08night, I was like, I'm done.
16:11Like, I'm not going to, I'm not making any more moves.
16:14Right?
16:15And this was really not a move.
16:16I woke up to a text message that said, do you want to go to the game on Monday?
16:19I'm like, yeah.
16:21Yeah, I think yes.
16:22Yes.
16:23Let me, hang on.
16:24Let me think yes.
16:25Look out.
16:25Is my answer.
16:27So, anyway, here we are.
16:29Does it have to be Lukonen?
16:35I think almost as definitively as it had to be Lyon on Saturday night.
16:39Yes, I think it has to be Lukonen.
16:43More so than game five.
16:45Yeah.
16:47But less so than game six.
16:49Who the starter needs to be.
16:52What kind of level of nerve are we showing if it's Lyon?
16:56Does it not?
16:58This has been throughout the playoffs.
17:01It's not that coaches don't get to make these decisions for themselves.
17:05I know that they do.
17:06And I've enjoyed poking at that at times in the playoffs.
17:11Like, well, does he have to play?
17:14Well, what does it look like if they don't do what seems like the obvious thing?
17:19It has to work.
17:21Right.
17:22Because if Lukonen plays tonight and it doesn't go well, just like these other times, other examples, it's really not
17:30going to stick to Lindy, I think.
17:31What would you have done?
17:32I'm sure there are people out there that would play Lyon.
17:35So, I don't want to act like everyone would agree.
17:38But I think, I mean, I certainly am not of a mind to go back to Lyon after Saturday night.
17:46Isn't that crazy?
17:47I mean, the last show we did, well, we'll never see Lukonen again.
17:51Right.
17:51I know.
17:51And how do you get rid of his contract and everything?
17:53And then he goes and makes every save.
17:55Game seven.
17:56Right.
17:56Yeah.
17:56One of the last things we talked about on Friday before we left was Igor Shosturkin's contract.
18:01That's right.
18:01Right.
18:03That's where our heads were at.
18:05Life happens fast.
18:06In the day off before game six.
18:08And, yeah, now we're back to Lukonen.
18:10But, yeah, I don't have a, I would have a very hard time going back to Lyon after the way
18:16Saturday went.
18:17I mean, now he's changed goalies in consecutive games.
18:20In the middle of consecutive games.
18:23And I said on Friday about game five, you might have agreed.
18:28The problem Ruff had in game five with Lukonen, who was shaky, I thought, immediately.
18:34I thought the first two goals weren't the worst.
18:37But we're not good on him.
18:39Like, just, he's not in the net.
18:40And then the fourth and fifth goals are gross and it's kind of over.
18:45But they were ahead.
18:46Right.
18:46Those early goals.
18:46Their guy was as bad or worse to start the game.
18:49Yeah.
18:50Those goals didn't put Montreal ahead.
18:52So, can you really take your goalie out when it's 2-2 or 3-3 or even 4-3 in
18:58the second?
18:59I mean, that's not really done.
19:01But Saturday, 3-1, this is it.
19:05Go.
19:06Yes, see ya.
19:06That third one sails in and that's it.
19:09That's it.
19:09If it's 3-2, I don't know.
19:11Yeah, maybe it's different.
19:13Or 3-3, like it's not happening for sure if it's 3-3.
19:17So, completely irrespective of the goaltender and the decision, is the, like, how is the
19:24rest of the team doing?
19:25And now you're down 3-1, so you make that move at 3-3 on Thursday.
19:30You don't.
19:30It's not that you can't, but no one does.
19:33It's just so...
19:34It's weird.
19:35It's so wild to me that in back-to-back games, the road team, the goalie gave up three goals
19:43on the first four shots they saw.
19:46And the road, that team came back and won both games.
19:49Big.
19:50Right.
19:51Right.
19:51Like, going away.
19:52And, you know, in the Montreal case, that was maybe largely because they didn't make a change.
19:57The cooler heads prevailed.
19:59They kept Obich in in that game.
20:01And he paid them off.
20:02He made every save from there on.
20:03Well, again, they were never down by more than one.
20:06Right.
20:06And Lyon gets pulled, and Lucanen goes in and just stops everything Saturday night.
20:12Man, they were just buzzing so hard by that third period.
20:19Well, we'll see what they wear.
20:20We'll see who plays.
20:21Metza?
20:23So, Metza was for power.
20:25It was power insurance.
20:27Right.
20:27I would think.
20:28Yeah.
20:28But.
20:2912 minutes.
20:31You know, he scored a goal.
20:32He was on the ice for a goal.
20:35Yeah.
20:35I think you get through a road game with him, I think it would be kind of nutty to not
20:40leave him in there for a home game.
20:41Game seven of the second round, and all their trade deadline stuff has disappeared.
20:47Yeah.
20:49That's right.
20:50At least as of game six.
20:51Right.
20:53Carrick came back.
20:54Has anybody reported, like, a new injury or anything on that?
20:57Nope.
20:58Not that I've heard.
20:59No.
20:59He's just not in.
21:01And Stanley disappeared.
21:04And then Shen in, didn't go well, out.
21:06Metza.
21:08How about that?
21:09The deadline.
21:10Right.
21:11Not over yet.
21:12Yep.
21:12We'll see what we get tonight.
21:13Yep.
21:14Going into game seven of the second round, those additions are not with them.
21:19At least, you know, dressed.
21:20Right.
21:20And now with the lines being, like, what Lindy did with the lines going into game six, Krebs is the
21:26fourth line center now.
21:27And he's not coming out.
21:27So, no, he's not coming out.
21:29So, yeah.
21:31I mean.
21:32Carrick's not going in.
21:33No.
21:33I think one of the other defensemen could go in.
21:36Could.
21:37Yeah.
21:39But I'd be a little surprised.
21:40I wouldn't touch it.
21:41What do you know?
21:42The team that got them almost all the way there is the team that they're using.
21:47Including Thompson on the wing, by the way, for some of the season.
21:49Sure.
21:50Yep.
21:50Yep.
21:50Yep.
21:50Whether that's 100% injury related or not.
21:54I mean, that's not brand new.
21:56That's right.
21:56When they started the year, Lindy was of a mind that Josh Norris would be their number one center.
22:02Now he is.
22:03And now he is.
22:04It took them all the way to game six of the second round to get there.
22:07Yeah.
22:08But we did.
22:108-0-3-0-5-50 if you want to join us.
22:12We're at the arena.
22:13Same location as last time for the Boston series.
22:16Up the escalators to the left.
22:18And, you know, who has more fun than people?
22:22Emily Kaplan from ESPN will join us at four.
22:26She'll be with the broadcast team for game seven tonight.
22:30ESPN for this one.
22:32Mike Schoep and the Bulldogs 6-30 pregame.
22:35Sabres and Canadians game seven.
22:36This is WGR.
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